On the edge of many towns, far from homes and businesses, you'll find the local, community garbage dump. Garbage dumps and landfills often look like a chaotic scene of waste trash, paper and other useless junk. There may even be an industrial grade incinerator spewing smoke and flames as it burns waste. But a closer examination reveals the modern landfill as the cutting edge of modern waste management. These facilities recycle and manage the waste from modern day life in an attempt to keep the environment as clean as possible. If you're planning on taking a load of household garbage or yard clippings to the landfill, here’s how to make the most of your trip.

Start off by taking any items that can be recycled to your local recycle center. Household paper, plastic and aluminum have no business rotting in landfill. Items like this take hundreds of years to fully biodegrade. Beside the environmental concerns, many landfills charge by weight, if you can reduce the weight of your load, you'll pay a lot less.

Be certain to dispose of hazardous materials, like batteries and computer monitors at a proper facility, not the trash dump. Toxic materials from these items can pollute soil and drinking water if they're not disposed of properly.

Try getting to the dump as early in the day as possible. Let's face it; you do not want to be standing in the middle of a landfill at three in the afternoon on a hot summer day. In the morning, cooler air helps control odors and makes unloading your truck a lot easier.